RAZORBACKS ROLL INTO DALLAS FOR THE 76TH AT&T COTTON BOWL CLASSIC

Arkansas arrived at its team headquarters full of excitement and with its sights set on its primetime matchup against the No. 8 Kansas State Wildcats in six days at Cowboys Stadium.

“I’m excited and the team is excited,” said junior LB Alonzo Highsmith. “It’s been a while since we’ve played and we’re ready to get back out there to practice.”

The Razorbacks are no strangers to the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, making their 12th all-time appearance and their first since 2008. Arkansas’ 12 Classic appearances are the most in a single bowl game in school history. The Razorbacks have won three Cotton Bowls (1965, 1976 and 2000), including a 10-7 victory over No. 6 Nebraska on Jan. 1, 1965. That win capped an undefeated season and earned Arkansas a national championship by the Football Writers Association of America and the Helms Athletic Foundation.

Freshman CB Tevin Mitchel also expressed the team’s excitement to face Kansas State in the Classic’s first Top-10 matchup since 1994, saying “as a team, we are all excited to be back here in Texas. It’s is pretty much home to us since we played in Cowboys Stadium against (Texas) A&M so we’re all excited to be back here and we just can’t wait to play.”

Arkansas and Kansas State have not been familiar foes as of late. Their Jan. 6 meeting will be the first between the schools since 1967, a 28-7 Razorbacks win at home on Oct. 28. The two teams get their first AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic look at Cowboys Stadium on Saturday night as both teams will take part in the official stadium welcome party in Arlington.

The Razorbacks will be first to hit the practice field on New Year’s Day with a late morning workout followed by its Media Day, featuring head coach Bobby Petrino. Both teams will practice on the Cowboys Stadium turf all week. All of Arkansas’ Classic week practices are CLOSED to the media and public.

The 76th AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic is Friday, Jan. 6 on FOX. The telecast starts at 7 p.m., with kickoff scheduled for 7:32 p.m. Gus Johnson will handle the play-by-play duties with Charles Davis as the color analyst. Tim Brewster and former Dallas Cowboys great Daryl Johnston will serve as sideline reporters.

For the 20th consecutive year, the Classic will be heard around the world through the Westwood One Radio Network. Brad Sham, “The Voice of the Dallas Cowboys”, and former UCLA head coach Terry Donahue will be on the call.